Design-Build Done Right

Universally Applicable Best Practices Applying to Any Project Type, in Any Market Sector, of Any Size

Based on research, case studies and extensive industry input, DBIA has identified design-build best practices and implementing techniques that directly impact project performance. Stated differently, if these practices are implemented, there is an increased probability that the design-build project will be successful. If these practices are not implemented, the performance of the project may be compromised and expectations of one or all of the team participants may not be met.

For ease of reference, this document has categorized ten (10) best practices (and nearly 50 supporting implementing techniques) into three areas:

Procuring Design-Build Services;

Contracting for Design-Build Services; and

Executing the Delivery of Design-Build Projects.

The evolution of this document is based on input from DBIA members and the A/E/C industry.

Market Sector Best Practices

To accompany the Universal Best Practices and recognizing the real-world differences between design-build market sectors, DBIA’s market sector committees have developed a second tier of Best Practices related specifically to those sectors.

Design-Build Manual of Practice

The Design-Build Manual of Practice is an authoritative guidebook about single-source responsibility contracting, consisting of narrative instructions, procedural guidance, sample formats and best practices recommendations. The purpose of the compendium is to provide a comprehensive reference manual for owners and practitioners about all aspects of design-build practice. The publication includes basic definitions, selection procedures, project execution checkpoints, tenets of professional ethics, risk management guidelines, contract formats, licensure data and regulatory and legal information. The Manual of Practice is available for download for DBIA members - sign in with your member login to access it.

If you don't know if you have all the chapters or if you want to know what's in the Manual of Practice, we have the complete list of chapters on this site. One that is available to everyone is the BIM Checklist.